Family of Bill Paxton Sues Hospital, Surgeon for Wrongful Death

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Summary: Bill Paxton’s estate is suing a surgeon and a hospital for the actor’s death in 2017.

Bill Paxton’s family is suing the hospital and surgeon who treated the actor last year. They said that his death was preventable and blamed the parties for the beloved actor’s demise.

  

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According to CNN, Paxton’s family said that Paxton was treated by a surgeon who “lacked experience” and did not tell the family that his heart surgery was “high risk and unconventional.” They said that the surgeon and hospital, Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, did not properly inform them about the risks involved.

Paxton, 61, died in February of 2017. He starred in HBO’s “Big Love” as well as huge blockbusters such as “Titanic,” “Aliens,” and “Twister.”

Paxton’s family said that the inexperience of the surgeon and the misrepresentation of the risks contributed to the actor’s post-surgery complications. His death certificate stated that he passed due to a stroke. USA Today stated that he had the stroke two weeks after the surgery.

“Bill Paxton and his family trusted the physicians and staff at this medical facility but instead Cedars-Sinai betrayed their trust,” Paxton attorney Bruce Broillet said to CNN. “The surgeon’s actions resulted in this tragic and preventable death.”

Cedars-Sinai said that federal and state health privacy law forbids them from commenting on patient care, but they stated that they cared about safety.

“Nothing is more important to Cedars-Sinai than the health and safety of our patients. These remain our top priorities. One of the reasons for our high quality is that we thoroughly review concerns about any patient’s medical care. This process ensures that we can continue to provide the highest quality care,” Cedars-Sinai’s statement said.

Paxton is survived by his wife Louise Paxton, his son James, and his daughter Lydia. The estate filed the wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court last week against cardiovascular surgeon Ali Khoynezhad and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. They said that the doctor and hospital inflicted “harm” and committed “battery” by subjecting Paxton to a risky procedure without informing him of the risks.

Paxton attorney Steve Heimberg said that Dr. Khoynezhad left Cedars-Sinai shortly after Paxton’s death.

“Defendant Ali Khoynezhad intentionally performed unnecessary heart surgery,” the lawsuit stated.

In the lawsuit, the family said the doctor was not in the room when Paxton “began suffering complications, which included excessive bleeding, shock, ventricular dysfunction, ventricular tachycardia (abnormal heart rhythm caused by irregular electrical signals) and a compromised right coronary artery,” USA Today stated.

The family added that the doctor was negligent when he did not provide continuing care after the surgery. They said that he did not return to the operating room immediately after being informed of Paxton’s situation and this resulted in further cardiac damage.

Khoynezhad could not be reached by CNN.

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What do you think of the Paxton family’s lawsuit against the doctor and Cedars-Sinai? Let us know in the comments below.